The Ohio State University

 

Introduction

In academic year 1997-98, The Ohio State University selected the following universities as its primary set of benchmark institutions:

University of Arizona
University of California-Los Angeles
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
Pennsylvania State University
University of Texas at Austin
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison

The criteria by which these universities were selected were based on organizational similarity and quality. To capture similarity, organizational college configuration, distribution of faculty, and institution size were examined. A reputational ranking, based on a composite of those rankings by the National Research Council, U.S. News and World Report, and the Association of American Universities, was developed, and only institutions that earned a higher rank than OSU were selected as benchmarks. The selection of similarly organized universities allowed comparison of universities with similar histories and resource allocation. Selecting universities that are similar but have higher reputation rankings increases the probability that programs, initiatives, and policies with a positive effect on performance may be more easily transferred to OSU.

The benchmarking process has continued with the collection of strategic information about OSU and comparable information from the nine benchmark universities. The presentation of the following report represents the next phase of the benchmarking process: updating strategic indicators to 2005-2006 and linking these data to the OSU Academic Plan.

In addition this year’s update contains two new items of interest. OSU college level data for each indicator is added where appropriate. Also along with the traditional report format utilized in past years, Strategic Indicators 2007 will be accessible in a web page format at http://oaa.osu.edu/irp/stratind.php

The 2007 Strategic Indicators Report tracks OSU’s progress toward goals set in the Academic Plan. Performance data presented in this year’s report are the most current available, with most being collected and reported for the 2005-06 academic year. Generally, performance data for The Ohio State University are presented in comparison to the mean of the benchmark universities. College level data for OSU are available for selected indicators. Though the focal performance year is 2005-06, data are presented for OSU and the benchmark universities for 5 years where data are available. This provides a longitudinal perspective on the performance of the University.

Goal: Build a World-Class Faculty

• Ohio State faculty are garnering an increasing number of nationally prestigious awards, jumping from 36 in 2005 to 44 in 2006. OSU’s recent surge can be attributed to the number of faculty elected as American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows. The benchmark mean was 32 for 2006. However, Ohio State continues to lag behind the benchmark institutions with regard to number of national academy members.

• Ohio State’s market share of total research expenditures increased by 0.132% for 2004-05. During this same time period, seven of the benchmarks lost market share; Texas and Arizona gained 0.103% and 0.052% respectively.

• OSU’s market share of publications globally and nationally is below the benchmark mean, but in both OSU is narrowing the gap. The same trend can be seen in the market share of citations.

• The Ohio State University increased federal research expenditures 137% from 1998 to 2005. The benchmark mean increased 80% over the same time period. Ohio State’s ranking among the benchmarks for share of Federal Research has improved from 10th in 2003 to 7th in 2005.

 

 

Goal: Define Ohio State as a Leading Public Land Grant University

• In the 2008 edition of the US News and World Report Best Graduate Schools, Ohio State is below the benchmark mean in both the number of graduate programs ranked in the Top 25 and number of graduate programs in the Top Quartile of programs ranked.

 

Goal: Enhance the Quality of the Teaching & Learning Environment

• Faculty, undergraduate, and graduate student surveys are conducted in a three-year cycle, with one survey carried out each year. Faculty were surveyed in 2005, graduate students in 2006, and undergraduate students in 2007. New data are available in this report for these groups.

• 79% of OSU faculty respondents report overall satisfaction with their jobs, 4% higher than the national average. OSU faculty respondents also report being satisfied at a higher rate than the national average on many other measures including: salary and benefits; opportunity for scholarly pursuits, professional relationships with other faculty; teaching load; and relationship with administration.

• Graduate and professional student respondents are very satisfied with the quality of their programs, facilities and campus services. For the first time in 2006, professional student were included in the survey.

• In 2007, OSU freshman’s overall satisfaction with their entire educational experience had dropped slightly from 2004, while seniors’ satisfaction had increased. Both freshman and seniors reported a higher level of satisfaction with the quality of academic advising in 2007 than in 2004. Freshman satisfaction with the quality of instruction in lower division courses increased from 2004 to 2007 and senior satisfaction with the quality of instruction in upper division courses increased from 2004 to 2007 as well.

 

 

Goal: Enhance and Better Serve the Student Body

• For 2005, OSU improved with regard to most measures of undergraduate student qualifications. A higher percentage of the new first-quarter freshman ranked in the top 10%, top 25%, and top 50% of their high school classes in 2005 than in 2004.

• OSU’s and the benchmark mean freshman retention rates have improved from 88.0% and 91.1% respectively in 2004 to 89.7% and 91.7% respectively in 2005. In 2001 there was a 3.2% gap in retention rates between OSU and the benchmark mean. This gap has fallen to 2.0% in 2005.

• Improvements in graduation rates naturally lag behind improvements in retention rates. From 2004 to 2005, OSU’s 6-year graduation rate improved from 61.8% to 68.1% while the benchmark mean rate improved from 75.5% to 76.4%. This represents a decrease in the gap in graduation rates between OSU and the benchmark mean from 13.7% in 2004 to 8.3% in 2005. Graduation rates are expected to continue to show improvement based on OSU’s recent history of improved retention.

• OSU has closed the gap with the benchmark mean in the percentage of students from the Top 25% and Top 50% of the their high school class. In 2001 the gap was 16% for Top 25% and by 2005 the gap had been reduced to 10%. For Top 50%, the gap has decreased from 5% in 2001 to 1% in 2005.

• For 2005, OSU reports the 3rd highest rate among the benchmark institutions for crime per 1000 students at 24.8. This number is down from 26.6 in 2001. In 2001, OSU was below the benchmark average but climbed above the average for years 2002 through 2005.

• The number of police officers per 1000 students at OSU has remained relatively consistent over the past few years after a drop in 2002. The drop in 2002 was the result of an 18% reduction in the number of police officers combined with a 3% increase in student FTE. The benchmark average has remained relatively constant as well. The benchmark institutions have on average 1.3 police officers per 1000 students while Ohio State has approximately 1.0 police officers per 1000 students.

Goal: Create a Diverse University Community

• OSU ranks third among benchmark institutions in the proportion of tenure/tenure track faculty who are women, trailing only Arizona and Washington. OSU ranks 4th among the benchmarks in the percent of African-American, American Indian, Hispanic, and Asian tenure/tenure track faculty.

• OSU’s percentage of African American, Asian and Hispanic students has remained fairly steady since 2001; however the benchmark mean continues to rise. In 2005, OSU ranked 8th among the benchmark institutions in regards to percentage of minority undergraduates, besting only Wisconsin and Penn State.

• Minorities fill a lower percentage of OSU staff positions in all staff categories except service positions as compared to the benchmarks.

• Retention rates for African-American and Hispanic students at OSU continued to rise in 2005. OSU now has comparable rates to those of the benchmark mean.

• Six-year graduation rates for African-American and Hispanic students are on the rise as well at OSU. However, these rates continue to trail the benchmark mean.

 

Goal: Help Build Ohio’s Future

• The number of Invention Disclosures, the first step in the patenting process, has increased over the 2000-2005 time period from 106 to 166. The benchmark average has increased as well over the same period, but Ohio State has moved from 59% to 73% of the benchmark average. The number of patents awarded to OSU and the benchmark institutions on average has remained relatively stable over this time period. Income generating licenses have remained stable as well for the benchmark institutions while OSU has fluctuated from 35 in 2000, increasing to 62 in 2003, and falling to 36 in 2004.

• The percent of OSU faculty respondents who report being involved in community service continues to fall. In 1999, 64% of OSU faculty respondents reported volunteering at least one hour per week. This figure stood at 57% in 2005. National averages for the same time comparison were 65% and 58%, respectively. OSU faculty respondents who report teaching a service learning course has fallen as well, from 26% in 1999 to 20% in 2005 (national average – 25% and 22%, respectively).

• The percent of first year students who reported that they have performed some type of community service since entering OSU rose from 32% in 2004 to 45% in 2007. An increase from 55% in 2004 to 58% for seniors was realized for the same question.

 

 

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